Three Months Later...

image via burke decor

It is hard to believe that Flower Design by Bridget has now been open for almost 3 months!  It seems like just yesterday Facebook, Twitter and Google+ were getting set up, I was blogging about opening my shop, and our website was going live.

It has been a whirlwind, with floods of orders for Christmas and Valentine's Day, and lots of repeat customers in between.  Honestly, those are the best because it means that I was able to create something for them that meant enough to come back.  

I know I am not the only flower shop in Clearwater, but as I said in my first blog, my first boss told me that every arrangement needs to be special.  While it is one thing to copy a mass-popular cut-and-paste bouquet, it takes a little something extra to make the flowers a special message between people.  Because that is really what it is all about.   

That's why I make sure to have "Designers Choice" options, and why I work with my customers to make sure that if you are looking for something for someone important in your life, the flowers are as amazing as they are.  This is in addition to the pre-designed options, as sometimes you might want to pick something - but even these are carefully hand-arranged, because there is no point in sticking flowers in a vase like a robot. 

Being from Europe, I also curated some select gifts to offer in my shop, for when you need more than just flowers, or when you want to send something to someone who maybe has allergies or prefers something aside from flowers.  Things like KOBO soy candles:  domestically grown, pure soy wax and lead-free, enviro-safe cotton wicks that come is a special recycled cardboard box with seeds in it that you can soak and plant (everything from flowers to vegetables)!  I also keep small-batch European soaps and Woodstock wind chimes, which go really nicely with a potted flower option.  I do this because it is one thing to put flowers in a vase or copy a picture, and another to make sure that each piece that leaves the shop is special, and has room for details and extras that make it unique. 

Looking back now after these last few months, I just wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone who has followed along on my adventure of opening up shop, and who has played a part in my dream of sharing my passion and love for what I do.

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

Wedding Planning Stress Solutions As Told By Cats

Wedding Season is here - and it can get very stressful!

Here is a course of action, guided by cats, to help get you through!

So, wedding planning has got you all...

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And if you have to look through one more bridal magazine you are going to...

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So before you...

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Trying to dig yourself out of the flood of information on what to do next like...

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Take a deep breath and...

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Remember the moment of...

 

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And the magical feeling of...

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It will be ok.

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Just keep that in mind, and never let the stress replace the meaning of the day and remember what it's all about.

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<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

Wedding Planning Simplified

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Congratulations!  You're engaged!!

Take some time to let the magic of it all settle in - you are starting one of the biggest adventures of a lifetime!

Once it has all settled in, it is time to get down to details and start planning!

The world of wedding planning can be MASSIVE and there are a ton of details to sort out.  So, where do you start?  

Now, you can always hire a planner, and a good planner can help you with all of the details!  But these are things you can do on your own, working with a planner to bring it all together!  This won't get you through everything, but it will get you started!

1. First things first - pick a theme.  This can be a color or your favorite movie or the location you met or a type of food or food in general or a style or a time period or anything in the world!  But if you do not pick this first, you will absolutely drown in the endless possibilities of wedding details.  Decide together on this, but before you start looking at dresses or flowers or venues or anything, pick a theme.

1A.  If you already have a dress that was handed down to you, or that you picked out forever ago, or a dream location or a particular flower, pick a theme that fits that - even if the location or the dress style becomes your theme.  Maybe the dress was your grandmother's and the theme becomes "family" or "history" or "the 1950s" or even the color tone of the dress.

2. Once you have a theme, work out two things:  What your dream day would consist of, and exactly what your budget for the day will be in real life.  By having these two things worked out, you can look at the different elements of your dream day, hold them up to your budget and see where you need to cut back, or find cost-effective alternate solutions, and bring your dream and your budget into a holy matrimony of their own!

3. Start diving into bridal magazines!  While flipping through The Knot and every Pinterest board under the bridal sun can be endless hours of inspiration and ideas - it also can be a rabbit hole that will send you into Alice's Wonderland if you do not have parameters set!  Picking a theme gives you a yardstick of what direction to go in.  And those tiny beach chair name cards in a sand box entry way might not be so distracting when you know you have already picked a metropolitan night scene theme!

4. Don't forget that things can always be handmade - maybe you see a look you love but the price tag is way out of your price range.  Perhaps diamond-studded table cards aren't going to fit into your real-world budget, but they would be the best night scene table topper you can find!  Check around and see if you can find plastic pieces you can use to make your own and throw a party with some friends to make them!  Or, if you are not crafty, or really don't have time, check on websites like Etsy and see if there is a shop there that can make them for you (or tell them what your budget is and see what they can make that might be similar).

5. Find a florist!  Be sure to talk to several, but if there is one you just click with, go with that!  Nothing is worse than working with someone who doesn't understand what you are looking for and isn't working with you on bringing to life your dream day!  Come prepared to discuss budget and colors and concepts.  Make sure you tell your florist your theme and what your ideas are - or if you need direction, tell them what your budget is and see what they come up with.  Good florists are trained in many styles and know varieties of flowers.  Maybe your dream is endless white roses but your budget hasn't figured out how to accommodate that - talk to your florist and see if they can't come up with an alternate style or flower to use that fits your theme and your dream and your budget!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

To Rose or Not To Rose?

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It's almost that time - February 14th is right around the corner, and with it, last minute Valentine's Day orders for flowers to be delivered to the people we love!

But did you ever wonder why it is we send flowers in the first place?

If you are familiar with the initial story, without getting into the religious history, the short version involves a message of love being sent, and flowers have been used to communicate silent messages for centuries.  

Thank tradition, or popular culture, but around 3/4 of all men have given flowers to their love on St. Valentine's Day, and majority of those have sent roses!  While roses have been a symbol of love and passion since ancient Egypt (the rose was sacred to many Goddesses), there are many other flowers which also can symbolize love and passion, without falling into the cliche, (or while working with a tight budget...).

Orchids are a symbol of love, wisdom, beauty, seduction and refinement.  They also have no scented pollen, which makes them fantastic flower choices for people with allergies.  Their lack of scent and uncommon allergic reactions are also why orchids became so popular in the restaurant and hotel industry.  A hotel lobby can maintain the class of fresh flowers with an intricate orchid arrangement, and not have to stock up on extra tissues.  For this reason they make an excellent Valentine's Day choice if your love has sensitivities to pollen or scented flowers.

Tulips are another flower that mean love - the red tulip symbolizing "perfect love" and pink and yellow tulips symbolizing caring and being hopelessly in love.  In Holland brides do not wish for roses on their special day.  The popular flower there is a tulip, frequently seen in wedding decor and in bridal bouquets.  Cut tulips also tend to last longer in a vase than other cut flowers, and for this reason make for a smart choice by those who like to enjoy their bouquet.

Do you want to go in a completely different direction?  Birds of Paradise.  These vibrant and energized flowers symbolize faithfulness, celebrate distinctive and unique beauty, while also being meant to express freedom and joy.  If you are looking to add a zestful and powerful statement to any delivery for your Valentine, these beautiful blooms take the cake!  They also are stunning alone, and with the right greenery can create an impact with only one or two stems (as depending where you live, they can be pricey).

So what will it be for you this Valentine's Day?  Stick with tradition?  Or mix it up with an alternate silent yet beautiful message of love?

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

The Language of Flowers

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While flowers are beautiful just as themselves, they actually have a long history of being used in messages sent where words were either forbidden or impossible.  Where lovers or friends wished to send secret messages to each other, they could send a single blossom or a full collection of blooms to convey feelings.  And not always nice ones!  

We tend to associate flowers with feelings of liking or affection, but did you know that once upon a time you could send someone a bouquet that said you had nothing but disdain for them, or that you suspected them of capriciousness?  Add in one other flower and you could accuse them of frigidity and heartlessness!  While one flower meant the love of a woman or mother, another meant the passion of a lover - not to be confused with each other!
Today we tend to select flowers based on their coloring or style or even just availability.  But the history of the flowers have created trends that stay even today.  White Calla Lilies have been a popular choice for wedding bouquets for years because they are so simple and classically elegant, but they also once symbolized magnificence, beauty, purity and innocence.  

And though chrysanthemums are more simple, a bouquet of red and white chrysanthemums says love, truth and loyalty and make them a fantastic choice for a Valentine's Day bouquet on a budget, even though the historical meaning of the blossoms is no longer well known.

Want to send an empowering arrangement to a friend?  Send a mixture of white and heather lavender.  The lavender shows admiration, solitude and beauty and the white stands for protection and indicates that wishes will come true.  Plus they are such a beautiful and simple flower, they make for a sweet touch to any room on any day.

Going to visit someone in their new home or looking for an extra add on to a wedding gift?  Bring them potted or cut Anthuriums.  They symbolize hospitality and are also used to indicate happiness and abundance, a nice wish for anyone starting a new life.  For an even extra special touch, ask your florist to add a little note with your wishes for them.

While thankfully now we can just enjoy the beauty and color and style of flowers, no matter what their message used to be, and we can create the perfect arrangement for the people we love!  But it is still fun to know the original meaning these blooms have!

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

Top 10 Reasons Flowers & Cats Just Might Be The Greatest Thing On The Internet

Just for fun, this week's blog is pure fun! 

So here are the reasons:

10. Because who doesn't want a flower hug?

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9. If we could all be this happy, all the time

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8. I mean really!

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7. Just so much cuteness!!

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6. We all love to explore - but there is something about this kitten exploring among these flowers...

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5. Nothing stops fine felines from enjoying the aroma of a floral bouquet!

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4. Even our furry four-legged friends appreciate the gift of flowers!

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3. Even Grumpy Cat fits with a floral setting!

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2. Just yes

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1.  And then there is this.

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Have a wonderful weekend! 

<3

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Design by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!   

Noll Wedding

Photo Credit: jacqui cole

Hello! And welcome back to Perennial Petals - my little corner of the internet where I talk about all things flowers and try to give some insight into the world of being a florist.  This week, 'tis the season...of wedding planning!

As you could imagine, the holidays are one of the most popular times of year for wedding proposals - and with Valentine's Day right around the corner, now is one of the most concentrated wedding planning times of the year.  While elements like the venue and the dress and the rings are top of the list when it comes to planning, so are the flowers.  

My last blog was about my predicted floral trends for 2016, and looking back now I remember last October, when I had the honor of doing this wedding with a beautiful green-and-white theme, all white flowers with green accents and emerald green bride's maid dresses.  

Just recently I read this article, which talks about how only using one color is a "mistake to avoid" and they talk about how monochromatic flower color choices can lead to bland photos of your special day. 

I have to agree, but I think it should be said that there are times when sticking to a simple color palette (like 2 colors only), enables the flowers to be a high contrast accent, and allows for the texture of the flowers to be more of a statement than just the colors alone and makes for more bold pieces.  For a bridal bouquet, as you can see here, white on white with a simple single color accent can be classy and elegant and lend a timelessness to your bouquet.  

I can not stress enough to all couples planning their wedding, it is so very important to talk with your florist and make sure an understanding is reached of what you are looking for both in your photos and for practicality on your special day.  As they said in The Knot, you might have a beautiful ocean view for your reception, but if you block it with large, tall centerpieces, you are paying for a venue your guests will not be able to fully appreciate, and your pictures will lose the impact of the location.  A well-trained florist can help fill your wedding day with the most beautiful flowers no matter the style or theme or color palettes you choose.

One thing is for certain, white roses will never go out of style.

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Bridget is the proud Owner of Flower Designs by Bridget, bringing European Certification and 20 years experience to Pinellas County, Florida, where she lives with her husband (Air Force, Ret.) and two children.  When she is not in her shop, you will find her enjoying a cup of Roiboos tea with her family and several cats and dogs (including one named Daisy).  While the holiday greens and decorations of December are her favorite, she looks forward to bringing you sunshine and smiles through flowers all year round!